


5 Times Someone Heard Peter Play

by Nexas_Hart



Series: Peter Parker Plays Piano [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Author is not a musician, BAMF Peter Parker, Classical Music, Dancer Natasha Romanov, Don't Judge Me, Fluff, Minor Betty Brant/Ned Leeds, Minor Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, Musician Peter Parker, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Precious Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26514412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nexas_Hart/pseuds/Nexas_Hart
Summary: +1 Time Everyone Heard
Relationships: Betty Brant & Ned Leeds, Bruce Banner & Peter Parker, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Peter Parker, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Cooper Barton & Peter Parker, Laura Barton & Peter Parker, Lila Barton & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Series: Peter Parker Plays Piano [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021819
Comments: 36
Kudos: 599





	1. Spider on the Strings

**Author's Note:**

> I like the Singer Peter Parker trope, but I thought I'd do something different.
> 
> Enjoy!

Spider on the Strings

Peter Parker is not easily tempted.

When he was bitten by the radioactive spider, he could’ve used his powers to become a star athlete. He didn’t.

He could’ve gotten back at all of the bullies that had been tormenting him throughout his childhood. Didn’t do that either.

He could’ve used his abilities to go on a crime spree and rob jewelry stores and armored trucks and so many other places for their valuables. The urge struck him a few times in the beginning, with his aunt’s financial situation being as it is. Still, he hasn’t even accepted cash when offered. Just some food and the occasional drawing, button, sticker, or other memento from those he’s helped.

However, he does have his weaknesses. When he started going to the Compound more often, they’d started to show.

He’d sneak the occasional cookie or other baked good from Bucky’s experimenting, despite being expressly told that they’re for after dinner. His super metabolism won’t notice the difference, he excuses.

Even when Mr. Stark has expressly forbidden it, he’s still managed to convince Clint to teach him archery. They go out into the forested area around the Compound for that, because FRIDAY is a snitch.

He’s managed to hack into the suit again. This time, he’s lowered the alert on his injuries so that Mr. Stark doesn’t get a call for all of them. It’s not like the smaller ones matter, and he still lets Karen report the dangerous ones. It’s just that sometimes, all it takes is a good number of bandages, and maybe a few stitches, and he’s good as new. They heal up in no time, and his clothes cover them, so nobody else has to know.

One temptation that he hasn’t caved to yet has been sitting in one of the sun-rooms of the Compound since he’s arrived. Ornately carved, white wood. Ivory keys. Strings regularly tuned, despite its lack of use. The piano has been taunting him since his first glance into the room.

Peter’s always had a passion for music. Sure, he joined marching band, with its woodwind, brass, and percussion, but his passion has always been in strings. He would’ve joined orchestra, but it would’ve interfered with Decathlon and the Robotics Club he was in at the time. So, he settled.

When he was bitten by the spider, his love for the string instruments only grew. He’d guess it’s something akin to the feeling spiders have when they feel something vibrate on their webs. He’s tried it with his own webshooters, and the sound of the plucking and strumming just resonates with him. Even with Clint’s archery practice, sometimes the sound of the bowstring thrumming in release can send shivers down his spine.

Now, however, he’s standing in front of this masterpiece of musical beauty, with the Avengers out on one of their super big “No Peter You Can’t Come” missions. He’s alone, and even though FRIDAY would snitch if he does something dangerous, she won’t volunteer information that would embarrass him. Besides, the teen doubts anyone will ask “Hey FRIDAY, did Peter happen to play the piano in the sun-room while we were gone?”

Gently, he sits down at the bench, as if he might break it. Carefully he sets his fingers on the starting keys. He looks up at the sheet music set out, and can’t help but smile. It’s one of the pieces he used to enjoy. He starts off the first few notes of Chopin’s Nocturne in C Minor.

***

The final notes play, and Peter just basks in the afterglow of the music. Goosebumps run down his arms as his very bones seem to resonate with what he’d just done. It’s been so long since he’s had access to a piano, especially one of such high quality as this. The one in the music room at Midtown is only so good. It is a STEM school. He lets out a sigh of relief as he closes his eyes, all of the tension just leaving his body.

“That was beautiful.”

He almost jumps off of the bench as he turns towards the door to the sun-room. Standing in the doorway, is someone he didn’t account for. A person that, despite not being an Avenger, is equally as important. Someone who doesn’t go on missions, but is still one of the key residents of the Compound.

“Ms. Potts,” Peter addresses the woman. “I- I thought you were in at a meeting in the city today.”

“A video conference,” she replies. “One that I’d finished a while ago. I’d heard someone playing, and I was curious.” She smiles softly at him. “That was wonderful. Tony used to play on occasion, before all of this. Nowhere near as good as you, but he tried. I was something that connected him to his mother. It’s good to hear the instrument being used again.”

“Could you maybe not tell the others?”

“Of course.” Peppers smile turns more amused. “Tony was always self-conscious about his hobby, too. I think they’d be fine with it, but you can tell them when you’re ready.”

“Thank you.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it.
> 
> If you have any suggestions on what pieces Peter should play next, feel free to comment. I don't have very much experience when it comes to popular classical music. I'm usually looking for something a bit slow and flowing, if that makes sense, but I'm willing to give any of them a listen.
> 
> Just don't ask for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. I already have a plan for that.
> 
> Comments and Kudos. Don't be mean.


	2. Musical Accompaniment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's caught, but he's not as upset about being blackmailed as he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter! Yay!
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Musical Accompaniment

Peter’s having a lazy day today. Snacking away on one of the couches in the Compound’s common area while watching videos on his phone. All of his homework is done, and both he and Mr. Stark are currently grounded from the lab for an “incident” that resulted in millions of dollars of damage. Not much to a billionaire, but still enough to result in the wrath of Pepper Potts coming down on the two idiot geniuses.

The teen looks up from his random searching when he sees someone walk into the room. Natasha Romanov saunters over to the boy, tablet in hand and eyes focused on him. He slips off his headphones, questioning and cautious. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t done anything wrong, and usually she beats up Clint in the training room when she’s upset.

“An interesting thing happened the other day,” she tells him.

“What?” Peter sits up, curious.

“You see, I sometimes hang out in the other rooms of the Compound. Mainly the ones that have a fairly good outdoor view. A few days ago, I was drinking in the sunroom just down the hall, and noticed something.”

Peter’s stomach drops. She knows. He does his best to keep his poker face going. The espionage training he’s been receiving and the multiple team game nights he’s had to endure come in handy, but he knows he’s been caught.

“The piano in the sunroom is regularly cleaned,” the superspy continues. “But there’s still usually a thin layer of dust covering. Imagine my surprise when I saw the sun reflecting off of its surface, and I noticed that it had been disturbed. The covering for the key’s had been opened and replaced, and the sheet music had been spread out and then stacked back in its normal position. Now, normally, that wouldn’t be anything bad, but I was bored, so I had FRIDAY show me the video footage.”

At this, she hands him the tablet. On it, is a still of him sitting at the piano bench.

“There’s audio, too. You’re quite good at playing.”

“Please don’t tell anyone,” the young musician almost begs.

“Fine, but only if you do something for me.”

He looks up, hope showing in his eyes. “What?”

She hands him a sheet of paper. “Come to this address on Friday after school. The door’ll be unlocked.”

***

Admittedly, he was expecting a warehouse, or something a bit creepier. Instead, what he got was a nice three-story building in a fairly well-off part of the city. There’s no sign on the door, other than the address, so Peter walks right in.

There’s a desk, currently unmanned, and a little bit past it is a set of stairs. On the side of the stairs is picture of a spider with an arrow pointed up the stairs. It’s pretty obvious what that means.

When Peter reaches the top, the entire room seems to open up. It’s about as large as one of the smaller training areas at the Compound. That is to say, a little taller than two stories, with open windows at the top, that look like they have screens that roll down. There’s a mirror on one wall and a bar across that mirror. What he zeros in on, though, it the grand piano against one of the walls.

“You’re late.”

Peter whips around to see Natasha Romanov, dressed in a tight uniform that he recognizes from some of the videos he’s seen online.

“You do ballet?” Peter asks, even though he can already see the evidence.

“One of the things I learned in the Red Room,” she frowns. “It helps me clear my head, and it’s also a nice hobby to have. Something that doesn’t involve hurting others. Anyway, back to the reason I called you here.” She starts to lead him over to the piano.

“Who owns this place?” Peter takes in the big space.

“I do.” Peter looks up at the woman in shock. She keeps talking. “I used the funds I’d saved up as a mercenary before SHIELD picked me up. I rent it out for other groups to use, but I still come up here on some of the days there’s no reservations to practice.”

They reach the piano, and she places her hand on the instrument.

“I bought this piano when I got the studio. Some of the groups have someone come in to play for them, but because I’m alone, I usually use a speaker. There is, however, a big difference between a speaker and live music. If you’ll come up here to play for me at least once a month, I’ll keep your secret as long as you want me to.”

“Deal,” Peter gives an immediate response. He sits down. “So, what did you want to play?”

Natasha smiles at the boy in front of her. “The sheet music is already there.”

He looks at it. “Pas de Deux. Tchaikovsky. Good choice.”

“I thought I’d go with a more common piece today,” she smiles. “If you could play it to this meter.”

She taps out a beat. It’s on the slow side of the songs usual meter, but as Peter pictures it in his head, he can almost hear the sound already. It’s a smooth rhythm for the piece.

“Yeah,” he relaxes, placing his hands on the keys. “I can do that.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nat knows how to dance. It's canon. Piano is really great to accompany ballet. Plus, I love Nat and Peter interacting together.
> 
> Comments and Kudos. Don't be mean.


	3. Masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is hired for a job.

Chapter 3: Masquerade

“C’mon, Peter.”

“No.”

“Please. It’ll only be for a couple hours.”

“No.”

“You’ll get paid.”

Peter pauses in his next refusal. That is tempting. He’s got a college fund, curtesy of Tony Stark. He also has a fund to go with his enhanced metabolism. He let them give him that, because May signed up for a teenager, but not a teenager that can literally eat someone out of house and home.

“How much?” He squints in interest.

Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries, gives him a number. Peter just has to sigh. That’s a few too many zeros for him to pass up.

***

It’s a party. An upper crust, super fancy suit and tie party. One of those things that Peter wouldn’t ever go to before, even after becoming Mr. Stark’s personal intern. He’s here, but he’s not really a guest.

No, he’s playing piano.

The original pianist had to cancel, and the backup won’t be able to get there until later. So, Pepper basically bribed Peter to do this. I mean, that’s kind of what getting paid is, but still.

The only up side of this is the masks everyone is wearing. He adjusts his own face covering before continuing onto the next song on what is probably the top twenty hits of the European Renaissance.

Apparently, Stark Industries has a masquerade party every year or so. The excuse is so that people can mingle with each other without having to worry about rivalries or status or the press annoying them for statement. It’s really because it gives Mr. Stark a way to leave whenever he wants. Even with the mask on, Peter still saw the billionaire slip out of the festivities after about half an hour of talking with people.

The other Avengers can be caught mingling around themselves. Nat and Bruce are at the bar. Bruce has something non-alcoholic, and Nat is doing her best to reject the advances of someone who has trouble keeping his leering gaze high enough to make eye contact. Steve Rogers, mask or not, is kind of easy to spot in a crowd. The muscles kind of give him away to all of the women, and a few guys, in the room. Peter can spot the others, but they’re a little less noticeable.

A few minutes later, Peter hears a voice next to him.

“Hey, kid, wanted to thank you for doing this.”

He turns to see Steve, having found some way to ditch his fans. Peter starts an internal panicking session before he sees the look in the captain’s eyes. He hasn’t recognized him.

“I heard from Pepper that you’re just a temporary sub in that she had to call in on short notice. Wanted to thank you for doing this.”

Peter coughs, lowering his voice a bit. “It’s fine. Money’s good.”

A smile shows on the man’s face. “It probably would be, but still. Thanks.”

***

“So,” Bruce sits down next to Peter. “You can play piano.”

Peter almost jumps out of his seat at the dining room. It’s been a couple of days since the party. He looks around, but sees that they’re the only two people in the room.

“H-How-?”

“I was nearby when you talked with Steve,” the genius explains. “And when I went to the bathroom later in the day, I heard you talking with Pepper after the replacement got there. I’ve worked with you enough in the lab to recognize your voice, even when you try to hide it.”

“You can’t tell anyone,” the teenage musician begs.

“Wasn’t planning on it. I can understand keeping a secret, even if I don’t understand why. So, Pepper knows. Does anyone else?”

“Just Nat. She promised to keep it a secret if I played music for her to dance to every once in a while.”

“Right,” Bruce nods. “I go down to the studio she owns on occasion. There’s a yoga class there that she introduced me. It’s relaxing. But just those two?”

“I mean,” Peter scratches the back of his head. “Ned and May both know that I used to play, but I haven’t actually told them that I’ve started again.”

“Do you mind if I come down when you play for Nat? I really liked what I’d heard. You were actually better than the guy who replaced you.”

Peter hesitates a bit, a little self-conscious, but still answers. “Sure.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted two chapters in one day because I accidentally posted number four first right after I finished it while forgetting that I had yet to get around to posting chapter 3. Hope you like this one.
> 
> Comments and Kudos. Don't be mean.


	4. Bird Sitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter ends up injured and gets sent to a familiar farm, but music seems to follow him everywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your comments. I really enjoy reading them.
> 
> Hope you like this next chapter.

Chapter 4: Bird Sitting

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“It’s fine.”

“But you’re still recovering.”

“You said they’re just going to be staying inside for the rest of the day, so it’s fine.”

Laura Barton gives him a grateful smile. With Clint on mission, and her having a PTA meeting, the kids would’ve been home alone. Sure, Lila and Cooper are old enough, and they’re responsible enough to watch Nate, but it would be better to have an older kid there, too.

Peter, for his part, is currently recovering from a leg injury. It was basically a unanimous vote, that he was not a part of, that he would get out of the city for this particular recovery. Keeps him from feeling guilt from not doing his vigilante work. Which is why he is now at the Barton farm with the kids.

“Thank you,” Laura sighs gratefully. “Nate knows his bedtime, and Lila’s good at helping him get ready, but there are a few things I need you to make sure the two older kids do.”

“What?”

“First is homework, obviously. They’ve finished most of it, but there’s still math and science to get done.”

“I think I can help with that,” Peter smiles at the mother.

“I’m sure you can,” she gives a small laugh at the young genius. “And there’s Cooper’s piano practice.”

The teen perks up at this. “Piano?”

“Both of the kids play an instrument. Lila likes the trombone, but she uses the one that the school rents out until she gets enough money to afford one herself. She’s starting to go through a more independent phase where she won’t let us help her with a lot of things. Cooper, on the other hand, decided he wanted to play the piano a few months ago. We have an upright inside that he practices on a few times a week. Make sure he does it for at least an hour, more if he wants.”

***

“Got it,” Peter nods curtly.

“Okay,” Peter claps his hands together. “Homework is done!”

“Yay!” Lila cheers.

Nate follows the cheer from his own seat at the table. Cooper just collapses back in relief.

Peter looks up at the clock. “That was quicker than we had planned, so we’ve still got a while before Nate has to go to bed. So, we’ll have Cooper do his piano practice, then we can all sit down and watch a movie or play a game.”

Cooper stretches and walks over to the piano. Peter saw it when he came in, but it still gives him a twinge of the urge to play that has come back with a vengeance the past few months. It’s old, but it’s well maintained. Sets his hands in the proper starting positions, and Peter sees that he’s just playing a few simpler tunes that beginners learn. When he starts to play, the older teen notices that the boy really does know what he’s doing. He’s got good finger movement, even if it is a little slow. If this is what the kid can do with just a few months, he’ll be amazing if he keeps practicing. One thing is irking the spiderling.

“Hey Coop,” Peter speaks up after one of the pieces. “When was the last time your piano was tuned?”

The current player thinks for a few moments. “I don’t know. I remember one of our older neighbors used to do it, but he moved into the city to be with his kids. We have the tools for it, but Dad hasn’t found anyone else to do it since then.”

“But you have the tools?”

“Yeah. They’re in the storage closet.”

“Think you can get them? I can tune it up while I’m here.”

“I’ll do it!” Lila hops off of her seat, running off to the closet.

***

There were more than a few keys that needed to be fixed, but it didn’t take long. Peter’s got a good ear and a steady hand, but he still used the electric tuner to double check. Finally, he moves the piano back against the wall.

“That should do it.”

“Wow,” Cooper gapes. “That’s awesome. Can you play, too?”

“A little,” Peter blushes, scratching the back of his head.

“Oh, oh,” Lila perks up. “Can you do Harry Potter? Coop tries, and it’s starting to get better, but it just doesn’t sound the same.”

“It’s still a little too complicated for me,” her brother frowns.

Peter smiles, sitting down at the piano. “Did you know that the person who wrote most of the Harry Potter music is the same one who did Star Wars?”

***

Clint had gotten back from the mission early, and Natasha had offered to fly with him back to the farm. At the same time, Laura was driving back from her meeting. She sees him land and goes to meet him.

“Hey, honey,” he gives her a hug. “How’re the kids?”

“They’re just fine,” she replies.

“How’s our guest?”

“He’s good, too. He’s been a joy to have around the house. I left him to look after the kids while I was at the PTA meeting.”

“Uh oh,” Clint smirks. “Better make sure they haven’t burned the place down.”

Laura slaps him lightly on the arm as the three of them walk towards the cabin. Inside, the lights are on, and nothing is smoking. As they get closer, they can hear loud laughter, and unexpectedly, piano music.

“They’re fine,” Natasha smiles widely.

As they open the door, they see a sight that causes the other two adults to break into smiles of their own.

Cooper and Lila are circling each other with playfully menacing looks on their faces, wielding the toy lightsabers they got a few years ago. Their battlefield is covered in pillows and cushions. During this entire exchange, Duel of the Fates by John Williams plays in the background. The two parents look over at their piano to see Peter smiling widely at the scene before him. Nate is just sitting on one of the chairs, clapping and laughing at their antics. Just as the two rivals are about to strike, they notice their new audience.

“Dad!” Lila smiles, running towards her father. “You’re home!”

She drops her lightsaber and wraps Clint Barton in a hug. Cooper and Nathaniel follow shortly behind. Lila peels herself off of her dad and hug Natasha.

“Hey, dad. Peter tuned our piano,” Cooper announces.

“Did he now?” Clint gives the young hero a look. “And it seems like he can do more than that.”

“You can talk about that later,” Laura announces. “Peter’s still going to be here a few days, and it’s getting late. We should clean up the living room, and Nate needs to get to bed.”

There are groans from all three of the kids. The two older ones start replacing the pillows and cushions, while Laura leads Nate up to his room. Natasha goes over and sits next to Peter on the piano bench as the teen covers the keys again.

“Everyone was a bit worried about you back home, but it seems like I can tell them that you’re doing fine,” she ruffles his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friends and I used to play a game where we would guess if a John Williams piece is from Harry Potter or Star Wars. It's harder than you think. I believe that Peter would do his best to master a majority of the Star Wars soundtrack on the piano when he became skilled enough.
> 
> Comments and Kudos. Don't be mean.


	5. All That Jazz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Musical at Midtown, and Peter is volunteered for a specific role.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by a comment from Dark_Blue_Princess. Probably not exactly what you were thinking, but I like to give credit where it's due, and your thoughts about jazz piano had a big role to play in this idea.

Chapter 5: All That Jazz

They’re sitting in band class, because even if he quits marching band, he still has the elective for class. It’s a bit frustrating. Mainly because he has to suffer through watching the teacher give piano accompaniment while he sits there with his oboe in hand. Differing from today’s class, however, the head of the theater department comes in close to the end.

“Right,” the band director stands up, walking to the front of the room to stand next to the other staff member. “Our drama teacher has an announcement to make.”

“It’s time for our spring musical,” the head announces. “It’s a slightly different tone from our usual, but we’ll be performing the Broadway production of ‘Chicago.’ Like I said, it’s a different tone from most of our other performances, due in part to the maturity of some of the scenes and issues in the play. We are looking for musicians to play in the pit for the various songs.” She smiles. “However, if you wish to be apart of the play itself, we are beginning tryouts in two weeks. The reason why I bring this up is because, due to new restrictions given by the school board, only those in their junior year and up may try out. As such, we are in need of actors and actresses, or anyone wishing to experience something new and exciting in their last years of high school.” The theater head bows. “Thank you for your time and consideration.”

***

So, Peter’s sitting on stage. No, he’s not trying out, he’s painting a jury box. He volunteered to be a stagehand. Ned, his best friend who would do pretty much anything for him, is over by the soundboard doing some rewiring. This time, however, neither one of them had to convince the other. Why? Because of who else was a part of the performance.

Michelle Jones and Betty Brant stand next to each other, looking over the scripts as they review their parts. Peter hasn’t actually seen what type of play he’s designing for, so he doesn’t know what type of role they’re both playing, but he doesn’t really care right now. When he’d heard that MJ was cutting down on decathlon practice to rehearse for the school play, he immediately stated that he was thinking about volunteering to help with the set preparations. When Ned came by to visit and heard about the tech troubles from a pouting Betty Brant, he stutteringly volunteered himself to fix up the lights and sound.

They both go about their jobs for about a week before something happens.

“What do you mean you broke your wrist?!”

Everyone turns to look at the theater head, and therefore director, of the play. She looks like she’s about to rip her hair out while she holds her cellphone to her ear. After a few seconds of heavy breathing, her tone goes back to a faux calm level.

“Yes,” she sighs. “Yes, yes. I understand. I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you get well soon.”

As she hangs up the phone, one of the students carefully walks over to her.

“Madame Terry,” she starts, nervously. “Is something wrong?”

“That was Jason,” the drama head groans. “He fell off a ladder at his part-time job and broke his wrist. It won’t heal in time for opening night.”

“What?!” A shout comes from multiple members of the drama department.

“How could that happen?!”

“Who was his replacement?!”

“Is he going to be okay?!”

Madame Terry looks at the assembled cast and crew, concern on her face. “Yes, the doctor said he’ll make a full recovery, just not in time for the play. I don’t have a replacement for him. We could try to find someone else from the orchestra, but none of them could play piano as well as him.”

“The band director can,” one of the actors raises his hand.

“She’s needed to direct the music pit, but we need to find a replacement pianist soon. The full rehearsals start next week. Does anyone know somebody? They don’t even have to go to Midtown.”

Peter looks over to see Ned meeting his eyes. The lanky teen shakes his head, just slightly, at his friend. As far as Ned knows, Peter hasn’t played in almost three years. Maybe-.

“Peter can play piano!”

All eyes focus on Ned Leeds. Then, when they process what he’s said, those same eyes turn to Peter.

“Mr. Parker,” Madame Terry gives him a curious look. “Is this true?”

“W-Well, yeah,” he scratches the back of his head nervously. “I-I started playing when I was a kid, but-.”

Another student interrupts. “Is this the same as when he and Leeds said they ‘knew’ Spider-man.”

That comment causes a twinge of annoyance from Peter. Sure, he’s fine with people thinking he lied about knowing Spider-man. It helps keep his secret identity safe. But, for some reason, his piano playing seems to be a sore spot for him. He fixes the guy who said that with a glare that most of the people in the room wouldn’t have expected to see from the person they thought was just a nerd. Then, he stands up from where he was painting and walks over to the black grand piano that was moved into the auditorium.

He looks at the sheet music that’s spread out above the keys. Even though he’s self-taught, he would consider himself classically trained. He’s heard Jason play through a few of the pieces before, and he has dipped his toes into the jazz side a few times before that, but he definitely can’t consider himself an expert. Either way, he gets his internal metronome playing to the beat he wants, and plays the first keys.

***

At the end of it, the entire auditorium is staring. Madame Terry walks up, grips the teen on the shoulders and stares him directly in the eyes.

“Peter Parker, you’re our only hope.”

He’s not sure if she meant to make a Star Wars reference or not, but he can’t very well deny her after something like that.

***

There’s a standing ovation at the final performance. The audience is applauding the actors, but he still feels a bit of pride after each ending note. He knows most of the band in the pit feels the same.

They all stand around as people go up to hand roses to their favorite acts. Ned stands near Betty, both of them getting one each from both of their parents. It’s the same with most of the other people, just friends, family, and a few people who know good acting when they see it. The main acts seem to hold the most, obviously.

“Nice job, Parker.”

Peter turns to see MJ standing there, smirking.

“Thanks,” he smiles at her praise. “You did really well, too.”

She’s holding five roses. He knows that her parents came to one of the performances last week, and they’re also not the type to come to every one of them, so those must be from people who agree with Peter.

“I thought you played well, too.”

Peter whips his head around to see four people standing in front of him, in various degrees of disguise.

“Nat?” Peter gapes a bit. He looks around at the rest of them. “Dr. Banner? Clint? Mrs. Barton? Wha- What are you-?”

“We heard that there was a play going on at Midtown,” Natasha gives him a smile. “May told us you were participating, but she said that you were just fixing up the set.”

“The pianist broke his wrist,” he chuckles awkwardly.

“You did great Peter,” Bruce pats his shoulder. Then, he looks over at the girl next to him. “And who is this? I recognize you from the play, you did your part well.”

“Oh,” Peter looks back. “This is Michelle. She’s one of my friends from decathlon.”

“Ah,” the scientist nods. “You’re Michelle Jones. Peter’s mentioned his captain one or two times while working. I’m-.”

“I know,” Michelle steps forward to extend her hand. “Hoods and sunglasses aren’t the best disguises. Especially for a renowned scientist in a STEM school.” When she finishes shaking his hand, she turns to Natasha. “You all can call me MJ. It’s an honor to meet you Ms. Romanov.”

“You can call me Nat,” the spy takes the girls hand. “Make sure Peter invites you to the Compound every once and a while. I’d like to get to know his friends better.”

The teenage girl nods with more emotion than Peter thinks he’s seen her display. After they release hands, Laura and Clint walk forward.

“We got you some roses,” Laura holds out four red flowers. “You definitely deserve them.”

“We’d better get out of here before we draw too much attention,” Natasha ruffles Peter’s hair. “It was nice meeting you MJ.”

“I recorded the whole thing,” Clint whispers in the boy’s ear. “Once you get around to telling everyone about your skill, I’m going to be showing them it.”

“Give me another reason not to tell them,” Peter groans good-naturedly.

The group of superheroes and superhero adjacent walk out the doors to the auditorium. Ned and Betty both walk up to the other pair of teens.

“Dude,” Ned whisper shouts. “Was that-?”

“Three of the Avengers coming to see a play just because a Stark Industries intern was a part of it,” MJ finishes, raising an eyebrow at said intern. “Yes, yes it was.”

Betty turns her own suspicious look towards Peter.

“Well,” the boy sucks in a breath through his teeth. “I’m technically not a Stark Industries intern.” He stresses the last three words. Another breath. “I’m Tony Stark’s intern.”

The two girls, for there part, show their surprise without vocalizing it, which Peter is thankful for.

“Well,” MJ crosses her arms. “I’m expecting that invite soon. And dinner next Saturday.”

She walks away, with a stunned Peter Parker watching her. Betty leaves with her friend, grinning at what just happened.

Ned has to blink a few times to get his bearings. “Dude, did you just get asked out on a date?”

“I think so,” Peter recovers. “I mean. Probably? Do you think she’d like Vietnamese?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything about girls. Ask May when you get home,” that’s when Ned seems to realize something. “Right, we’re supposed to be gathering backstage. C’mon.”

He drags Peter in the direction that MJ and Betty left in. The young pianist’s mind is reeling, ideas for where to eat intermingling with thoughts about MJ and romantic musical scores.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done. Just the +1 chapter to go, and I pretty much have the idea fleshed out for it. Should be fun.
> 
> Comments and Kudos. Don't be mean.


	6. Explosive Concerto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bomb threat in New York. Nothing new, but this guy know what he's doing. He just underestimated the musical abilities of a certain spider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. Hope you all enjoyed the ride.
> 
> Thank you for all of your support and comments.

Chapter 6: An Explosive Concerto

It’s New York. It’s always New York. Why can’t the big bad evil people ever pick some other heavily populated area to torment? Nope, always New York. Which means, when it gets bad enough, the Avengers come in to deal with it. Seriously, it’s like they want to get caught.

Now, they have the idiot who hid bombs all over New York sitting on the ground. The law enforcement and most of the other Avengers are hunting down the things, but the mastermind is unconscious and webbed up by a certain spider-based hero as the some of the older members of the team look over the triggering device for all of the explosives. Surrounding them on the open street is a collection of robots built by the villain of the week, all taken down by the heroes.

“Well,” Tony Stark sighs. “The dude’s crazy, but he’s crazy and smart. Built in more authentication systems into the device to make sure that he’s the only one who can deactivate the bombs. They have to be done in a specific order to keep from speeding up the countdown. So, bring the guy over here to get this started.”

It’s a long and painstaking process, but the guy didn’t account for the fact that they could do the whole thing while he was unconscious. Or maybe he did, because at the end, something unexpected happens. Words scroll across the screen.

“Final authentication required,” Steve Rogers reads.

Tony’s also frowning at the words. “That’s not right. There was no indication of any other… Wait.”

“What?” Steve looks over at the iron suited genius.

“I saw the tech, and figured that all of the authenticators were digital. There weren’t any gaps in the process, so I figure I was right, but maybe,” Stark feels around on the device. “There could be an analogue device to deactivate the thing. Romanov, help me out. Look for a keyhole or some sort of compartment on this thing.”

It takes them a few precious minutes, but a panel pops out at about waist height on the back of the device, revealing-.

“I was right,” the billionaire gapes at what he sees. “This guy is a lunatic.”

Captain America’s face doesn’t differ much. “Is that what I think it is?”

“The keyboard for a piano,” Natasha observes. “Yes, yes, it is.”

“Hold on,” Tony goes back to the other side to look at it. “Yep,” he calls from his position. “The exposed wires that I saw aren’t for running electrical currents. This whole thing is a tricked out upright piano. The guy had a hobby. Best guess, a certain selection of notes in a certain order is the final ‘key’ to gaining access to this thing’s systems.”

“Well,” Natasha gestures above the keyboard. “At least we know what that order is.”

Tony makes his way around to see the notes engraved where the Black Widow indicated. “I recognize this, it’s Beethoven. His Moonlight Sonata. Fairly popular piece. Our friend here is a lunatic with taste.”

“Can you play it?” Steve looks at the billionaire.

“I said it was popular, not easy. It’s been years since I’ve sat down at a piano. I could probably get through it, but the authentication requires the song to be played within a certain time limit. From what I can see, it’s only slightly slower than the meter shown. Guess he wanted room for error if something went wrong.”

“Can’t you get your suit to do it then?” The Captain tries. “Just, I don’t know, program it to go through the motions.”

“As proud as I am that you’ve learned enough about technology to think of using my suit like that, I can’t. The movements needed to play a piece this complicated can’t be duplicated by the joints of the suit. We need someone who’s not only good enough at playing, but also able to handle the stress needed for something like this. Anyone have a piano virtuoso on call that can get here before the city goes boom?”

Steve Rogers starts talking in his ear, trying to get an update on the bomb situation. They’ve found quite a few, but the fact that they only have a rough guess on how many there are leaves disarming them completely or getting access to their signal’s wavelength to be the only option. Which leads them back to their situation.

Throughout all of this, Spider-man is getting closer and closer to the device until he’s about to put his hands on the keys.

“Kid!” Tony snaps the young spiderling out of his thoughts. “What are you doing?!”

“Wait,” Nat stops the webslinger’s mentor from charging forward. She looks at the masked vigilante, she gives him a questioning look. “Are you sure you can do this?”

The cool confidence in his posture shows how calm Peter is underneath the mask. “To be completely honest, I’m not. But I’ve played this piece so many times that I could do it with my eyes closed on any other occasion. I think I’m our best bet.”

The three adults process what he’s said. It takes a few more moments before the two men in the group seem to accept the words of their young companion.

Natasha gives Peter a reassuring smile. “You’ve got this, Little Spider.”

With that, the webslinger sets his fingers on the keys. The notes resonate through the empty street, bouncing off the walls of the buildings surrounding them.

***

“Dude,” Ned pulls Peter aside in the hallways that coming Monday. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get in contact with you all weekend.”

“My phone melted in a lab explosion,” Peter brushes his friend's hands off of his arm. “Mr. Stark hasn’t had time to replace it because of the cleanup from that bombing on Saturday.”

“That is awesome, but speaking of that bombing,” Ned’s smile gets even wider holding his phone up for Peter to see. “Spider-man’s trending on pretty much every single news outlet in the country.”

“What?” Peter pulls the device out of his best friend’s hand. “How?”

“People were hiding out in the buildings nearby during the bomb thing. They recorded Spider-man helping disarm the bomb. The posts have hit pretty much nationwide.”

Peter watches a few of the videos. The quality is good, so he can hear the music being played. With his enhanced hearing, and the forewarning of what he’s looking for, Peter can here Beethoven being played from not a few phones and tablets around the halls.

“You’re famous, dude,” Ned fanboys a bit. “I mean, you’ve always been popular in Queens and New York, but now you’re, like, nationwide, maybe even worldwide.”

Peter reads through the comments on the more popular posts. A lot of them are from New Yorkers complimenting him on his talents. Others are from people outside of the state asking for more information about the Spider-man. Still others make Peter blush a bit. Mostly some of the racier comments about “making sweet music” with people he doesn’t even know. After reading one such comment about his “skilled fingers,” Peter gives the phone back to Ned.

“Let’s just go to class.”

“Alright,” Ned smiles while they walk to their lockers. “But there are people wondering if you’d be willing to do a concert. You know, play piano for charity or something.”

“That’s-.” Peter pauses for a moment. “Actually, that’s a pretty good idea. I’ll talk with Mr. Stark, and we might set something up.”

“Yes!” Ned pumps his fist. “Can I do lights and sound? I got really good during the play, and it’s kind of fun.”

“We’ll talk about that, too.” Peter chuckles at his best friend.


	7. Announcement (Not An Update)

Just wanted all of you to know that I have decided to create an idea dump based on this fic.

Give me your input and ideas. Thank you for your support.


End file.
